SURYA NAMASKAR..

                                                      ·         Surya Namaskara, like most asanas, is recommended to be performed on an empty stomach. Therefore some recommend a gap of at least two hours after eating and before performing the namaskara. It is generally practiced in the morning before breakfast or in evening.

·         Shavasana is practiced at the end of practice for rest.

·         Pranayama is synchronized with asanas.

·         Mantras can be pronounced at the start of each Surya namaskara.Bījas (seeds) or the 12 mantras specific to each asana can also be chanted while performing each asana. The 12 specific mantras, though, repeated mentally instead.

·         Chakras are points-of-focus, when performing asanas.

·         There are a total of 8 different asanas in the sequence of the 12 asana changes of Surya namaskara. Some asanas are repeated twice in the same cycle of a Surya Namaskara.

·         In a traditional Hindu context, Surya Namaskara is performed facing in the direction of the rising (east) or setting (west) sun.

·         According to the scriptures one who performs the Surya Namaskaras daily does not get poor in a thousand births.

·         There are 5 ways in which breathing should be done during Surya Namaskar.

The following lists Surya Namasakar A. Other variations including Surya Namasakar B exist.

Series
Step	Asana	Breath		Chakra	Position	mantra
						Sanskrit	Transliteration
1	Pranamasana	exhale		Anahata	Heart	ॐ ह्रां	om hrāṁ
2	Hasta Uttanasana	inhale		Vishuddhi	Throat	ॐ ह्रीं	om hrīṁ
3	Hastapaadasana	exhale		Swadhisthana	Sacrum	ॐ ह्रूं	om hrūṁ
4	Aekpaadprasarnaasana (one foot back, lift head, hands often on earth )	inhale		Ajna	Third eye	ॐ ह्रैं	om hraiṁ
5	Adho Mukha Svanasana /parvatasana	exhale		Vishuddhi	Throat	ॐ ह्रौं	om hrauṁ
6	Ashtanga Namaskara	suspend		Manipura	Solar plexus	ॐ ह्रः	om hraḥ
7	Bhujangasana	inhale		Swadhisthana	Sacrum	ॐ ह्रां	om hrāṁ
8	Adho Mukha Svanasana	exhale		Vishuddhi	Throat	ॐ ह्रीं	om hrīṁ
9	Ashwa Sanchalanasana(opposite foot forward from 4, hands often on earth )	inhale		Ajna	Third eye	ॐ ह्रूं	om hrūṁ
10	Uttanasana	exhale		Swadhisthana	Sacrum	ॐ ह्रैं	om hraiṁ
11	Hasta Uttanasana	inhale		Vishuddhi	Throat	ॐ ह्रौं	om hrauṁ
12	Pranamasana	exhale		Anahata	Heart	ॐ ह्रः	om hraḥ

Mantras

12 Surya Namasakras are practised per cycle.

In the table, the following first 12 mantras corresponds to the 12 asanas in Surya Namasakara and can also be chanted or repeated mentally during the performance of each corresponding asana. They can also be pronounced at Pranamasana.

Salutation	Sanskrit	Transliteration
1	ॐ मित्राय नमः	om mitrāya namaḥ
2	ॐ रवये नमः	om ravaye namaḥ
3	ॐ सूर्याय नमः	om sūryāya namaḥ
4	ॐ भानवे नमः	om bhānave namaḥ
5	ॐ खगाय नमः	om khagāya namaḥ
6	ॐ पूष्णे नमः	om pūṣṇe namaḥ
7	ॐ हिरण्यगर्भाय नमः	om hiraṇya garbhāya namaḥ
8	ॐ मरीचये नमः	om marīcaye namaḥ
9	ॐ आदित्याय नमः	om ādityāya namaḥ
10	ॐ सवित्रे नमः	om savitre namaḥ
11	ॐ अर्काय नमः	om arkāya namaḥ
12	ॐ भास्कराय नमः	om bhāskarāya namaḥ
13	ॐ श्रीसवितृसूर्यनारायणाय नमः	om śrīsavitṛsūryanārāyaṇāya namaḥ

The following mantra is pronounced at the beginning of a Surya Namaskara cycle:

ॐ ध्येयः सदा सवित्र मण्डल मध्यवर्ती नारायण सरसिजा सनसन्नि विष्टः

केयूरवान मकरकुण्डलवान किरीटी हारी हिरण्मय वपुर धृतशंख चक्रः
om dhyeyaḥ sadā savitra maṇḍala madhyavartī nārāyaṇa sarasijā sanasanni viṣṭaḥ

keyūravāna makarakuṇḍalavāna kirīṭī hārī hiraṇmaya vapura dhṛtaśaṁkha cakraḥ

The following mantra is pronounced at the end of a Surya Namaskara cycle:

आदित्यस्य नमस्कारन् ये कुर्वन्ति दिने दिने
आयुः प्रज्ञा बलम् वीर्यम् तेजस्तेशान् च जायते

ādityasya namaskāran ye kurvanti dine dine
āyuḥ prajñā balam vīryam tejasteśān ca jāyate
For those who salute the sun every day,

life expectancy, conscious, strength, courage and vital power shall grow.